I barely managed to swallow the tea I almost spat out and coughed lightly.
“Oh my, Your Grace! Are you all right?”
“Cough, I’m fine.”
I wiped my mouth with the handkerchief handed to me by the young lady sitting next to me and asked,
“…What’s this nonsense you’re talking about all of a sudden?”
The noblewomen and young ladies who had gathered around me exchanged knowing glances.
It was a sly look, as if they knew everything already.
“Oh, Duchess. You know exactly what we’re talking about.”
“We all know what happened!”
“Please, just tell us the truth.”
Their eyes, filled with curiosity, poked at me incessantly, making it hard to focus.
At that moment, the front-page article from Aria News flashed through my mind.
‘According to a reliable source, Duke Cloud has been shedding tears every night since that day. Ah, what a tragic love story for the ages!’
…Right. I had conspired with Kyle to publish that.
I had been so focused on luring the Emperor with that bait, I had momentarily forgotten.
As the realization hit me, the women around me burst into giggles, their eyes twinkling with excitement.
“So, what really happened?”
“Did the cold and distant Duke really shed tears while caring for you?”
“Oh my, Lady Rozar, you’re mistaken. The Duke isn’t an ice-cold man when it comes to the Duchess. He’s more like a sugar-coated Duke!”
Hearing their chatter, I quietly sighed to myself.
‘Sugar-coated Duke’?
This was it.
The thing people find the most entertaining in the world: listening to someone else’s love story.
‘I’ve gone from being entertainment for the Emperor and Princess to being a fun topic for the nobility.’
And I couldn’t even blame anyone else since this was a mess I had created myself.
I awkwardly averted my gaze.
“Well, uh, the thing is…”
Their starry eyes pierced my cheeks despite my attempt to look away.
“…I don’t… really remember that well since I was unconscious at the time?”
In the end, I decided to play dumb.
Technically, Aria News reported that Ian had shed tears while taking care of me, not me!
And I really had been unconscious for three days.
What could they say if I didn’t remember?
A few of the women sighed at my response.
“Oh my…”
“Well, that makes sense. I heard you were seriously injured.”
“We shouldn’t have been so insensitive, asking only about the Duke…”
Though it was a simple excuse to escape the awkward situation, the women took it as something else entirely.
A few of them began whispering to each other, their expressions filled with concern.
“I was so worried when I heard about the ordeal you went through, Your Grace!”
“Right? There was an assassination attempt, wasn’t there? The world is going mad…”
“Indeed. It’s scary to even go out at night these days.”
“Did they catch the culprit?”
“They haven’t identified the person yet, but we all know who it likely is…”
Once one person opened the floodgates, everyone began clucking their tongues and fussing.
Some even subtly brought up the Emperor’s faction while glancing at me for a reaction.
Naturally, anyone who dared visit Madame Zed’s shop was likely supportive of Ian and me.
But for them to speak so openly about it meant that public opinion was swinging in our favor more than I had thought.
‘Their side played their cards wrong. They didn’t expect Aria News to get involved.’
They shouldn’t have followed us to the resort and launched an attack.
Given they even mobilized a high-ranking mage, they must have been quite desperate.
As I quietly observed the situation, I raised my eyebrows in amusement.
‘Let’s see, I think I could drop a few more hints here.’
Having made my decision, I cleared my throat.
Immediately, all eyes turned back to me as the noblewomen and young ladies stopped their whispering.
I casually glanced around and smiled calmly.
“I’m fine now. I’ve almost fully recovered, and the doctors say there won’t be any lasting aftereffects.”
Then, as if burdened by something, I let my expression soften and lightly pressed my trembling hand to my lips.
“Though, to be honest, there’s something else I’m worried about…”
“Oh my! What is it?”
“What’s troubling you, Your Grace?”
Their reactions were perfect.
“Well, I’m not sure if His Majesty will grant the Duke’s request…”
“Oh my.”
As I trailed off with a sorrowful tone, their responses came as expected.
The noblewomen gasped and exchanged glances before bursting into an excited murmur.
“By any chance, could it be…?”
“Could it be what we’re thinking?”
Instead of answering, I let my shoulders tremble faintly, blinking theatrically with teary eyes as if I were a devoted wife worrying about her beloved husband.
“I can’t say too much, but… the Duke isn’t the type to seek power. And after what happened to me, he made a personal request to His Majesty, but…”
I trailed off, subtly gauging their reactions. Even though I hadn’t mentioned anything specific, they seemed to have already caught on, likely having read or heard the rumors from Aria News.
“Oh my, does that mean the rumors about the succession… ahem! I mean, was it true after all?”
“See, I told you! It had to be true.”
“If that’s the case, both the Duke and Duchess must be in a difficult position….”
“Oh no… You must be so worried….”
I observed them whispering amongst themselves, then lifted my head as if to wipe my eyes.
“As I said, I can’t reveal too much. It was a personal conversation with His Majesty. But both the Duke and I have been deeply troubled by the matter….”
I deliberately let my words hang ambiguously, lightly tapping at the corners of my eyes.
In other words, I was planting the idea that I had never directly confirmed anything, so they shouldn’t even think about coming to me later for explanations.
“Oh dear, oh my. What a situation.”
“We had no idea the Duchess was going through such a hard time….”
“Look at her shaking….”
Regretful sighs came from all around.
After that, I didn’t even need to say anything more. They busied themselves, spinning stories and speculating, letting their imaginations run wild.
One of the noblewomen, who had been whispering for a while, suddenly turned to me.
“Now that I think about it, Duchess, you’ve changed quite a bit. You used to be so cold, it was hard to approach you.”
“That’s right, could this be the power of love?”
“Come to think of it, you used to act like you might disappear at any moment.”
“Speaking of which, about a year ago….”
One of the ladies was about to say something, but noticing my expression, she closed her mouth.
‘Huh?’
Was there something I didn’t know about?
Just as I was about to ask, Madame Zed, who had been holed up in the fitting room, came rushing into the lounge, out of breath.
“Your Grace, thank you for waiting! I’ll escort you inside now.”
I paused at her sudden entrance, then gracefully stood up, lifting my skirt in a poised manner.
‘Well, it’s not something I need to know right away.’
“Then, I’ll be going. Oh, and one more thing.”
I turned to glance at them.
“Be mindful of today’s conversation. If careless gossip spreads, more than one person will find themselves in an uncomfortable position.”
“Of course, of course!”
“We wouldn’t dare talk about this outside.”
Seeing them nodding fervently, I could already foresee rumors spreading in all directions as soon as they left the boutique.
Excellent, let them talk.
By tomorrow, the entire capital would be buzzing with the “fact” that the Duke had submitted a formal request to renounce his claim to the throne.
‘By the time the Princess’s birthday banquet arrives, the Emperor’s expression is going to be priceless.’
Your Majesty, it was you who insisted on supporting the Duke. This is not my fault, is it?
Smirking to myself, I mischievously stuck my tongue out in the direction of where Elisio would probably be feeling his ears burn.
“Your Grace, since it’s been a while, let’s start by taking your measurements again.”
“Go ahead.”
As Madame Zed spoke, I raised my arms and gazed into the mirror.
“I dropped by on a whim, but it seems you’ve gotten quite busy. I heard your bookings are full for the next six months?”
“Oh, you’ve heard, Your Grace? It’s all thanks to you.”
Madame Zed smiled shyly.
“Who would have thought that I, who once struggled just to pay the rent in a back alley shop, would be able to open a boutique on such a fine street? It’s all thanks to Your Grace. I never would have dreamed of it otherwise.”
Strictly speaking, she would have been discovered by the Princess in a few months even without me, but I decided to quietly savor the compliment since it was pleasant to hear.
“Any notable clients among those who’ve visited recently?”
By now, with her growing reputation, it was about time for some bigger names to show interest.
As I’ve mentioned before, a boutique isn’t just a place to get dressed up; it’s also a hub for forming public opinion and influencing alliances.
Just look at the attitudes of the noblewomen and young ladies who visited today.
Understanding my implication perfectly, Madame Zed’s eyes darted around as she thought.
“Recently, the Duchess of Brilluze inquired about making a reservation. Oh! And Lady Mary, the Marquess’s daughter, also made a discreet inquiry.”
“Oh, Lady Mary?”
My eyes widened in surprise.
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